Teddy Bear Fair
by Another Icarus
Summary: Todd had won Grayson a teddy bear. Damian doesn't understand why Grayson is so pleased about it.  Damian/Colin, Jason/Dick


Damian frowned and took an aggressive bite out of the cotton candy held by Colin. Grayson was a few yards away, actively cooing over a brown stuffed animal that the _other_ former Robin had presented him with a smile and kiss to the cheek. The failure had won some shooting game or other at the unbearably hot, smelly and overall unpleasant fair that Grayson had insisted taking him and Colin to.

_Todd _had showed up as a sort of surprise - though Grayson had looked completely unsurprised and just _happy _Todd had pulled up in the manor driveway. Damian sensed a conspiracy and was simply glad that Drake was out of town visiting that _clone_ of his or else he had a feeling this would be one of those times that Grayson forced them to behave like a family.

Irritating.

"It's so _cute_," Colin sighed beside him, watching Grayson reward Todd openly with a kiss. Damian made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat, even if he was slightly intrigued.

"What's cute about Grayson and Todd performing disgustingly open signs of affection in an area frequented by farm animals?"

"Well. It's cute. And they're boyfriends. They're allowed to be openly… kissy. And stuff." Colin rolled his eyes, and took a small bite of cotton candy. The puff curled and darkened on itself where his lips had touched.

"Tt." Damian turned his head before getting up off the bench they'd been sitting at. "Wait here." He ordered, and fixed the ridiculous straw hat on Colin's head. The red head's freckles were darkening and cheeks flushed slightly - signs that he was being over-exposed to the sun.

If Colin got a sunburn, Grayson would pay dearly for bringing them to such an unforgiveably sunny location _all_ day.

"Alright. Hurry back though or I'll eat the rest of the cotton candy by myself." Colin warned cheerfully.

Damian rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind." He said dryily and walked over to where Grayson was still fawning over the large brown bear - it was one of those _things_ that was nearly the size of a small child, and had a red ribbon tied around its neck. "What is the purpose of winning a stuffed animal for Grayson, Todd? He's not a child." He demanded once he was before them, and Todd gave him a sidelong glance, raising a brow.

"Because I felt like it."

"That's no reason to subject Grayson to being treated as a child."

"I _wanted_ it, Damian." Grayson laughed, moving his head from being buried in the monstrosity's head. "It was cute and I wanted to see if Jay would win one for me." He smiled. "It's sentimental because it's a token of our time together."

"That's ridiculous. Why not just depend on your memories for that?"

"Look, kid." Todd ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I didn't come here on a date with Dickie to answer _your_ questions. You like that Colin kid, right? You don't get the purpose of winning a teddy bear for someone? Do it." He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet, taking out a five dollar bill and holding it out to him.

Damian eyed it like it was a piece of burning coal. "I have money, Todd."

"This is on me, though. Go drag the little ginger off to the… that basketball game over there. And win him whatever plushie he wants. You'll get it then." He grinned. "If you don't… well, then you can slug me one. One free shot and I _won't_ even dangle you off a gargoyle tonight."

Damian scowled and took the bill. "You'll be _lucky_ if I don't hurt you later tonight." He growled, and turned on his heel.

"That was underhanded, Jay." He heard Grayson laugh softly.

"Hey, it got him out of our hair, didn't it? Come on, how about you, me and Mr. Bear go check out that cornrow maze over there. Bet there are some pretty unexplored _corners_-"

Damian shook his head in disgust and tuned them out.

"Wilkes, come on. I'm going to attempt one of these obviously fixed fair games and because I have no use for any of these childish toys, you may have what I win."

"Huh? Okay, sure." Colin smiled cheerfully up at him and stood.

"You're going to get sunburnt if you keep taking off your hat."

"It's not comfortable though." Colin pouted at him as he followed him to the basketball game.

"And you'll be complaining in the morning to me if you get burnt. Endure the indignities of the hat." Damian scowled at him, and was pleased when Colin obeyed.

Moments later, however, Damian was glaring actively at the procurer of the stand, because this stupid game was obviously fixed - he had not made a single basket, and he'd blown through three of the five dollars Todd had given him. His mood was not improved by how openly funny Colin was finding the situation.

"Prove that the game is not fixed." Damian demanded.

"How'd you like me to do that, kid?" The man sneered, and Damian resisted the urge to launch himself over the counter and beat him to a pulp. It'd certainly be an improvement on his face.

"I don't know, figure-"

"Damian, can I have a dollar?" Colin asked suddenly, tugging on his sleeve. Without thinking, still carrying on with the heated debate with the backtown hick that the fair had apparently deemed as a good person to hire on, he handed over a dollar. Colin disappeared from his side.

"I don't know, why don't you come over to this side of the counter and make a shot?"

"I'm terrible at the game, so it wouldn't prove anything. _All_ the balls fit through the hoop."

"Prove. It. Or give me my money back."

"That's not how it works, _kid_."

"Call me a kid one more time and I'll shove one of those basketballs up your -"

"Damian?"

"_What_, Colin?" Damian sighed, exasperated, turning to face his friend who had appeared at his side. And he was met, face to face with the face of a dark green bear. It wasn't very large - considerably smaller than the monstrosity Todd had won for Grayson, closer to the length of his forearm - but was decorated with a much larger gingham ribbon, red and yellow.

"What is that."

"Yours?"

"No it isn't." Damian said blankly and found that it was forcibly placed in his arms. He ignored the odd sensation of his heart thudding in his chest at Colin's warm smile - the straw hat planted firmly, obediently on his head, forcing his normally wild orange waves of hair into submission.

"_Yes_, it is. I won it for you over at the skee ball game." Colin insisted, wavering slightly on his feet. Despite the hat, his cheeks seemed a darker red, and Damian frowned.

"You're sunburnt."

"I-" The colour deepened further and _ah_, Damian realized. It was Colin blushing, not being burnt. "Do you like it?" He said instead and Damian looked at it.

Despite himself, he had to admit that it _did_ feel nice to be given it. Not that he'd admit it. Under pain of torture, he wouldn't. "…Sure. It's… it's nice." He muttered, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it.

Colin beamed brightly. "Come on, let's go ride the tilt-a-whirl now."

"But I haven't won you a bear yet." Damian frowned.

"I won _you_ one, though." Colin reminded as if the proof wasn't right in his hands. He smiled. "I already have Rory. I'm okay without a second teddy bear." He fidgetted slightly, as if there was more he wanted to say.

Damian was halfway to opening his mouth to demand that he spit it out, when Colin leaned forward hurriedly, and kissed his cheek.  
>"Tilt-a-whirl?"<p>

Damian closed his mouth wordlessly - perhaps, even, a little numb and aware of another odd thump in his chest - a sensation that had started some time around when he turned thirteen, but which was happening with more and more alarming frequency as his fifteenth birthday drew close. Whenever Colin was close, that is. Or he thought about Colin, or how nice he sometimes looked, or-

"Sure. Tilt-a-whirl." He nodded slightly, allowing a small quirk of a smile, and he continued to hold onto the bear. He'd allow the stupid hick running the basketball game to live, and he wouldn't even punch Todd later on. Maybe.

If Colin kissed his cheek again, perhaps.


End file.
